Client background

• Client:  A coal mining company
• Industry: Energy & Utilities
• Area of operation: Asia
• Products/Services: Coal
• Employees: Over 50,000

Challenge

The client was facing challenges in adopting and implementing new-age technology for better tracking, monitoring and management of coal from mine-head to port / rail-head.

The key issues were:

• Utilization of vehicles, idling and route diversions
• Pilferage during transit
• Service quality challenges impacting distributor and customer relations
• Rationalizing movement of coal based on requirements

Solution

The client collaborated with Wipro and introduced solutions to enhance end-to-end transport operations - from the entry at the check post to delivery at the unloading points. Leveraging IoT and analytics technologies and experience in the Mining industry, Wipro worked closely with the client for this transformation project and helped optimize client’s transport operations.

• Used GPS technology with geo-fencing and analytics, image analytics, integration with weigh bridges for tipper coal weight / quantity data in 10 mines spread across 250 kilometers
• Image analytics for monitoring and management
• RFID for gate automation and authentication
• Solution built on Wipro Smart i-Connect platform with distributed architecture and mobile app
• Set-up web servers at each area headquarters and client headquarters

Business Impact

The client experienced significant improvements in transparency, and security, savings of over 15% as a direct outcome of the optimization, and theft avoidance and operational improvement due to the technology upgrade.

• Better visibility
  • Enabled on-time deliveries through tracking of vehicles
  • Ensured real time monitoring of cargo movement within mine premises and outside with centralized management
• Increased security
  • Reduced security incidents with instantaneous alarms in-case of route violations/ unnecessary stoppages
  • Generated maps for dynamic geo-fencing with GPS-enabled video streams to track distance travelled by trucks
• Improved operational efficiency 
  • Improved production planning and supply chain activities related to vehicles and mining operations with online reporting on availability and breakdown
  • Facilitated  proactive decision making with dynamic route optimization
  • Simplified monitoring and co-ordination, leading to flexible mining operations

“Wipro provided mining logistics operation automation solution built on Wipro Smart i-Connect platform covering automated tracking, vehicle utilization optimization, theft avoidance, cost savings and operational improvement using IoT and analytics.”

Ashish Khare, General Manager and Practice Head IoT- Cloud & Infrastructure Services, Wipro